Hat



Oct. 25, 1938. y l CAVANAGH' 2,134,274

` HAT Filed Nov. 20, 1936 as; (Q //ff/ 32 2 34 l 32 n, d INVENTOR 12H/v CAMA/AGH ya? f J7' BY Wyk-? A TTORNE Patented Oct. 25, 1938 UNITED STATI-:s

PATE lOFFICE Y John Cavanagh, Norwalk-Conn., assignor to Hat f Corporation of America,A Norwalk, Conn.,V acorporation of Delaware Application November 2o, 1936, serial No. 111,766

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in hats.

It has heretofore been proposed to removably secure rather than permanently secure sweatbands to hats. Many advantages owing from associating a sweatband with a h at so that it may be thus readily attached to and detached from a hat have been recognized and account for the growing favor with which hats that have readily removable sweatbands are being received and demanded by the trade.

With the older and more conventional hat constructions a line of stitching is used to permanently secure the sweatband to the crown. While serving to effectively associate the sweatband and the crown from a mechanical standpoint, this manner of attaching-has several very practical disadvantages. One of these disadvantages lis that the threads constituting the aforementioned stitching act as a wick, and carry perspiration from the head of a wearer to the hat body and dressband, resulting'in an adverse Ydiscoloration and soiled outer appearance of the hat. y

Also, with most of the older and conventional types of hats the outer dressbands are stitched in place and cannot be conveniently removed for cleaning and reassembling, and also for quickly changing from one color or height to another for various style effects. Y

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hat with a removable sweatband and also a removable dressband associated with the crown portion in a particularly novel manner.

In accomplishing these objects the present invention provides ahat in which fastening elements secure and maintain not only the sweat in position in the hat but also pass completely' through the hat body to hold the dressband in place on the outside of the hat. Such a construction eliminates the need of any stitching whatsoever in attaching either the dressbandv or` sweatband to the hat. When either'band becomes soiled through extensive use it may be readily removed and replaced by a clean one without the need of tearing out old stitches and sewing in new ones.

This construction represents a distinct advantage not only over the usual expedient of v stitching the sweatband to the crown, but also f over that forrn o removable sweatband construction in which a plurality of fastening Velements are stitched to the inside of the crown for cooperation with fastening elements associated with the sweatband. In this latter construction the stitching by which the fastening elements are secured to the Ycrown serves itself to conduct moisture to the crown and dressband. Moreover, the fastening elements in the latterv construction, not being readily removable from the crown, serve to interferwith the renovating operations of cleaning and blocking a soiled hat.

It is therefore a feature of' the present invention to provide a construction in which the fastening elements maybe easily and completely j removed from the crown. y v `Another feature of the invention resides in providing'in combination with a removable dressband a removable sweatband having an integral A'further feature ofjthe invention resides iny providing a hat with a removable sweatband with a'portion extending upwardly fromv adjacent the lower edge thereof and with a plurality of circurnferentiallyv spaced removable'fastening elements passing through the hat crown with partsV overlying not only the portion extending upwardly from adjacent the lower edge of the sweatband b-ut also the: dressband to connect the two bands and maintain them in position relative to thehat crown.

Yet a further feature of the vinventionfis involved in providing a hat with a removable sweatband Yhaving secured theretoy a moistureproof tape with inner and outer integral upturned sections', the inner section'serving' as a moistureproof barrier and the outer section serving to cooperate with a plurality of spaced circumferentially disposed removable fastening Y elements which pass through the hat crown and hold thev removable dressband and sweatband in position.

v'Anotherfeature of the invention'resides in providing a hatwith a 'sweatband having mating ends which may be intertted andvsecured together by fastening elements passing selectively through spaced holes in the respective ends to adjust the sweatband tol various sizes.

Other features yresiding in advantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts lwill hereinafter appear.

In the drawing which shows the present preferred embodiments of my invention:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a hat embodying the invention, portions being broken away for the purpose of a more clear illustration.

Fig. 2 is an exploded fragmentary detail view of the invention disclosed in Fig. 1, the sweatband being of a slightly modified construction.

Fig. 3 is an exploded fragmentary 'detail 'view of the invention showing a still further modified form of sweatband.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail View of a construction similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3 but showing a fabric facing onthe sweatband.

Fig. 5 is an exploded fragmentary detail View of one of the removable fastening elements provided by the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a side perspective view of a hat em bodying the invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View of the mating ends of a sweatband of modified construction.

Before describing the present improvements and mode of operation thereof in detail it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of partsy shown in the accompanying drawing, which is merely illustrative of the present preferred embodiments, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and the phraseology employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring more particularly to the drawing and first toFigs. 1,'5 and 6, there is shown a hat 20 of a conventional conguration with a crown portion 2| and a brim 22. Asis common practice a dressband 23 encircles the outside of the crown while a sweatband 24 is positioned inside the crown and in the lower head conforming portion thereof.

In the hat provided by the present invention, however, as distinguished from the usual construction, the dressband 23 and sweatband 24 respectively are removably secured to the crown in an especially novel and advantageous manner which enables either or both of the bands to be readily attached to and detached from the hat.

The sweatband 24, which may be made of real or artificial leather, Solka, or any other suitable material, is preferably formed with an integral return fold 25 dividing the band into a main head contacting section 26 and an upturned section 21 which is interposed between the main section and the crown 2|. The upturned section 21 serves to support the main section 26 and, as will hereinafter appear, serves also as a fastening tape cooperating with a plurality of removable fastening elements 2B to maintain the sweatband inposition within the hat. A reed 29 positioned adjacent the lower edge of the sweatband and enclosed in the return fold 25 as by a line of stitching 38 is preferably provided to aid in supporting the sweatband and in maintaining it in proper relation to the hat. The use of the reed 29 and line of stitching 30 is optional, and for economy may be omitted.

Of particular importance, the removable fastening elements 28, which are spaced circumferentially of the crown, pass completely through the crown 2| to connect and removably secure the dressband 23 and the sweatband 24 thereto. Because of this construction the need of stitching to secure the sweatband and dressband to the crown is wholly obviated, even in securing the fastening elements to the crown.7 This represents a definite advantage of thepresent invention, not only because of the elimination of the danger of perspiration being conducted by the threads to the exterior of the hat to discolor the dressband, but also because of the saving in original production costs, and in breaking down and building up during renovation, due to the ease with which the bands may be attached to and detached from the hat.

As seen most clearly in Fig. 5, each of these fastening elements 28 which thus removably secure the dressband and sweatband in position, .includes a'shank 3| and a pair of heads 32 and 33, one at each end thereof. One of the heads 32 is preferably of a. button-like configuration vand fixed Vto the shank 3| while the other head 33 is detachable from the shank. A groove 34 in theshank Vand a split opening 35 in the detachable head provide a convenient snap connection enabling a ready association and disassociation of the fastening element 28 with the hat.

Preferably and as shown, when a fastening element 28 is inserted in the crown 2| the shank 3| passes not only through holes 36 in the crown but also throughholes 31 and 38 in the dress and sweatbands respectively, the button-like head 32 overlying the dressband and the detachable head 33 overlying the upturned section 21. When it is desired to remove or replace either or both of the bands 23 and 24 it is merely necessary to snap the heads 33 of the respective fastening elements out of engagement with the shanks and withdraw the latter from the crown. If the holes 31 and 38 in the dressband and sweatband respectively, be extended slightly in size so as to function as buttonholes, as shown by dotted lines 31 and 38', then the bands may be readily removed and replaced without the need of separating the fastening elements 28.

If desired, the fastening elements used may be of a form differing fromrthat disclosed, the important requirement being that they pass through the crown 2| to connect and removably secure the dressband23V and sweatband 24 in place.

In Fig. 2 there is shown a construction similar to the one disclosed in Fig.. 1, differing therefrom in that the sweatband 24a is made up of a backing member 39 of self sustaining material such as leather, or Solka, having a cloth facing l4|) which may be advantageously secured to the upper edge of the main section 26a .by a line of stitching 4| and held to the integral upturned section 21a by any suitable adhesive. The use of some kinds of adhesive at this point stiffens the sweatband adversely. However, the fastening devices 28 alone may be used to pass through the upturned section 49 of the cloth facing to secure it in place. Fastening elements 28, one only being shown, as in the case of the form first described pass completely through the crown and connect the dressband 23 and section 21a to removably secure the respective bands 23 and 24a in position. Arhat provided with such a cloth faced band is especially comfortable to the head of a wearer.

Instead of forming the sweatband with an integral return fold as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a sweatband 24a may be provided, as shown in Fig. 3, with a moistureproof tape 42 having inner and outer upturned sections 43 and 44 respectively, preferably integral, secured to the sweatband 241) adjacent the lower edge thereof by a line of stitching 45 which serves also to locate a reed 29h at the lower edge of the tape.

scribed fastening elements 2G, such as the one shown, pass through the crown to removably secure the sweatband and dressband in position. The head 33 of each fastening element 28 is hidden between the inner and outer sections 43 and 44 of the tape, the inner barrier section 43 serving to prevent the passage of perspiration and the like to the dressband 23 through the mating holes 381; and 3S formed in the section 44 and the crown 2l for the spaced circumferentially disposed fastening elements. As in the case of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 each fastening element 28 passes through ahole 31 in the dressband and maintains the latter in place with an overlying head 32.

If desired, as shown in Fig. 4, a cloth facing 46 may be provided to overlie a backing member 4l similar to the sweatband 24h disclosed in Fig. 3 to form a modified sweatband 24e. Preferably, the cloth facing 46 is curled over the top edge 43 of the backing member 41 and secured thereto by any suitable adhesive. In all other particulars the construction is exactly the same as that shown in Fig. 3.

With each and all of the forms disclosed the need of any stitching whatsoever to secure either the sweatband or dressband to the crown is obviated; either `band may be readily removed and replaced when desired; and the fastening elements are separated from the head of a wearer by the main head contacting section of the sweatband so that no discomfort is occasioned by the removable feature. Moreover, because of the attachment of the sweatband to the crown'by a plurality of spaced button-like fastening elements, as distinguished from the usual permanent line of stitches, there is produced, especially when the holes in the fastening portions of the sweatbands are extend to form conventional button holes, a semioating relationship between sweatband and crown which enables the band to conform more readily to the head of the wearer.

'Ihe sweatbands above described are, in the usual manner, in strip form with the ends brought into abutting or overlapping relation where they are secured together as by a line of stitching 50 shown in Fig. 1. However, if preferred, and as shown in Fig. 7, ends 5| and 52 on a continuous sweatband strip 24d may be made long and intertting, and the upturned section 21d provided with a plurality of holes 53a and 53a', 53band 53h and 53C and 53o', etc., to accommodate one of the fastening devices 28, so that the sweatband 24d may be used for various sizes of heads and be secured within various sizes of hats. For example, in a. large size hat, a plurality of fastening devices may be passed through the crown 2| to secure the dressband and sweatband to the hat, while the end 5l is passed into the end 52 between the sections 24d and 21d thereof until the holes 53a and 53a. are aligned for large size heads and hats, whereupon a fastening device 28 is passed through the crown, dressband and aligned holes 53a and 53a' in the section 21d to effect a final assembly. Likewise, holes 53h and 53h or 53e and 53o' may be aligned before the securing device 28 is passed through the crown and bands to effect final assembly of the hat for a smaller head and hat size.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of lthis invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A hat having in combination, a crown portion; a dressband on the outside of said crown; a sweatband on the inside of said crown; normally free end sections on said sweatband with a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes in one of said end sections and at least one hole in the other of said sections; and a plurality of fasten- `entially of the crown and having shank portions passing therethrough to connect said sweatband and said dressband and to removably secure the same to the crown, and one of said fastening elements having a shank portion passing through selected of the spaced holes in one of the end sections and through a hole in the other end section to hold the sweatband in a selected predetermined size.

2. A hat having in combination, a crown portion; a dressband on the outside of said crown; a sweatband on the inside of said crown, having a main section and an associated upturned section; normally free intertting ends on said sweatband, with circumferentially spaced holes in said upturned section in one of said ends and with at least one hole in the upturned section of the other end; and a plurality of fastening elements spaced from each other circumferentially of the crown and having shank portions passing there,- through to removably connect the sweatband and dressband to the crown, one of said fasteningele ments having a shank portion passing through selected holes in the normally free ends to secure the intertting ends together and to the crown and to maintain the sweatband in a selected predetermined size. e'

3. A hat having in combination, a crown portion; a sweatband on the inside of said crown; normally free end sections on said sweatband with a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes in one of said end sections and at least one hole in the other of said sections; and a plurality of fastening elements spaced from each other circumferentially of the crown and having shank portions passing therethrough to removably secure the sweatband to the crown, and one of said fastening elements having a shank portion passing through selected of the spaced holes n one of the end sections and through a hole in the other end section to hold the sweatband in a selected predetermined size.

4. A hat having in combination, a crown portion; a sweatband on the inside of said' crown, having a main section and an associated upturned section; normally free intertting ends on said sweatband, withcircumferentially spaced holes in said upturned section in one of said ends and with at least one hole in the upturned sectionV of the other end; and a plurality of fastening elements spaced from each other circumferentially of the crown and having shank portions passing therethrough to removably connect the sweatband to the crown, one of said fastening elements having a shank portion passing through selected holes in the normally free ends to secure the intertting ends together and to the crown and to g maintain the sweatband in a. selected predetermined size.

JOHN CAVANAGI-I.

Ving elements spaced from each other circumfer- 

